Final answer:
When comparing two numbers in scientific notation, 1.45 x 10^15 and 8.97 x 10^14, the first number is greater because it has both a higher exponent and coefficient. Therefore, the correct relation is 1.45 x 10^15 > 8.97 x 10^14.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is comparing two numbers written in scientific notation: 1.45 x 10^15 and 8.97 x 10^14. To determine the relation between these two, we compare their exponents first. Both numbers have positive exponents, but 10^15 is a power of ten greater than 10^14. This means that any number multiplied by 10^15 will be ten times greater than if it were multiplied by 10^14, provided the coefficients (the numbers in front of the powers of ten) are equal.
However, we also need to compare the coefficients. In this case, 1.45 is greater than 0.897 when ignoring the different powers of 10, but because 10^15 is a higher power than 10^14, 1.45 x 10^15 is indeed greater than 8.97 x 10^14. Therefore, 1.45 x 10^15 > 8.97 x 10^14, and the answer to the original statement is:
b) >